Born in 1954, Alfie Mills served his apprenticeship with Sam Hall at Spigot Lodge in Middleham. He arrived in Middleham aged sixteen weighing five stones and with very long ginger hair. He soon found he had a natural gift for riding horses and quickly became a valuable member of the Hall team.
After Alfie’s five-year apprenticeship ended he then had short spells working for Arthur Stephenson and Dick Peacock before returning to Sam Hall, where he first met Chris Thornton, who in 1973 had become Hall’s assistant trainer.
When Chris Thornton began training following Sam Hall’s death, Alfie took out his jockey’s licence again. He enjoyed his greatest day in the saddle when winning a race at Ayr on a horse called Hombre on March 25, 1985. Having achieved his ambition of riding a winner and struggling with his weight, he gave up race riding and became Thornton’s travelling head man and box driver.
His contribution to the sport was recognised by the Alfie Mills A Lifetime in Racing Fillies’ Handicap at Pontefract on June 28, 2010.